What I use...and don't use.

The truth is...

I have lost about 10-12 pounds since March 1st and I have not stepped foot in a gym. I don't have time for a gym. You see, I have three small children who are now 4, 2.5 and 9 months. I am a busy momma. Since making the commitment on March 1st I had to find a way to exercise. Take time for me. It's been tough, but I have done it. I knew there would be no way I could commit to driving to and from a gym every time I wanted to exercise, so I vowed to do it on my own. I have succeeded, and I continue to succeed. There are days where I wonder when I am going to exercise and some days I just can't. Some days (actually most) I don't exercise without some sort of interruption from the girls, and that is okay, any exercise is better than none. I've learned that you do not have to join a gym to be successful in losing weight and bettering yourself. With a small investment, you can do it at home, on your own. You just need a few things...

A commitment: You have to be ready. You can't exercise for anyone else but yourself. You have to want it. Bad. If you aren't serious, you won't succeed because it is just too easy to make excuses as to why you can't or don't want to work out. Commit yourself to a period of time, I did 90 days. Set a goal that you know you can reach (like a 5K). Starting a blog was the best thing for me because it made me accountable. If I knew people may be reading, then I had to do it.

Hand weights: When I realized I'd be using DVD's here at home, I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a case filled with sets of 3, 5 and 8 pound weights. Very handy and cost about $50. Honestly, I didn't start using weights until a few weeks into my challenge. I was so out of shape that even using NO weights made me sore!

Cushy Mat: Floor work on a wood floor is NO fun. I went to Target and spent $10 on a cheapo Yoga mat. It sucks. I recommend buying a nice mat - don't be cheap!

Polar HRM FT7: Kevin bought me this for Mother's Day. I have to say it's pretty cool. It's a heart rate monitor and calorie counter. I like to see how good (or bad) my workouts are. It gives me a good idea of what is going on and how hard I am working. Definitely a cool tool, just not a necessary one!

Asics Gel-Nimbus 12: My running shoes. I had been running on old Nikes - but they got uncomfortable so I went off to get my feet assessed at a local running store. I had a neutral gait, so they fitted me with some shoes. I chose Saucony. I ran in them a few times and my God, they hurt. Bad. So, I took them back and have been in my Asics ever since. They're pretty good. I definitely recommend heading to a running store to get your feet measured and assessed if you plan to run! Worth the money.

The videos I use:

Everyone has different opinions on what is good or bad for exercise. Some like kick-boxing, some like Yoga, some like circuit training, so my opinions may not mean too much :). At first, I started off with OnDemand Exercise TV - it's free and it gives you a great glimpse into videos you may want to purchase. Some of them are full length, and most are only a portion of the real video.
$9

The 30 Day Shred: Jillian Michaels - Target, $9 - completely worth it. Three levels, all 20 minutes each. Anyone has 20 minutes. This is my go-to video if I am short on time. It's challenging and burns a decent amount of calories for only 20 minutes! Level one is easy, two is difficult and three is....well twice as difficult! It uses the 3-2-1 technique - 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs.

No More Trouble Zones: Jillian Michaels - $9, Target - Absolutely my favorite. It is a true ass kicker. Seriously, an intense work out. 40 minutes in length of circuit training. The AB circuits are amazing! I love the challenge of this workout. I wish I had time to do this more often. It is my go-to video for when I have a bit more time.

CardioMax: Biggest Loser - $9, Target - A pretty good cardio workout that allows you to pick and choose the intensity as the workout goes on. Very versatile. I like this one for the days I can't get out running, but feel like I need a good cardio workout. I also like the fact you can do short or long workouts. Some times, I will do a 20 minute work out after Trouble Zones. This one is really worth it!

Boost Metabolism/Banish Fat: Jillian Michaels - $9, Target. Not my favorite. If you like kickboxing type exercise, then you will enjoy. It's definitely a good workout. It is 40 minutes in length, so like Trouble Zones, if you are limited on time, you may have a tougher time doing this. I like this workout for when I feel like I need to "mix it up".

Yoga: Meltdown: Jilian Michaels - $15, Target. If you think of yoga as a quiet, serene workout, think again. This is another one of Jillian Michaels ass whoopin. She's got you holdin' poses for 15 seconds in poses you never thought possible! It's a great workout, I really, really like it. Definitely great for the beginner all the way up through the ladder. If you like yoga, try it out. Very cool.

So, for a minimal investment, you can set yourself up pretty nicely at home! You don't need a lot. The biggest thing you need is a commitment to be serious about bettering yourself. What are you waiting for? Set yourself a goal and strive to achieve it. You can do it.

Never give up.

Father's Day 5K

Today, we celebrated Father's Day by running in the Sea Dogs Fathers Day 5K race here in Portland. This would be our second 5K race since the start of my 90 day challenge. This race was a bit different! We were not alone in running the race. My parents decided it was time to run in their very first 5K race! Not only did they run but our good friends Kristen & Enrique and Kim & Mike were there, too. It was different this time. I knew what to expect and being alongside Kevin, my parents and friends made it a bit more exciting.

Look at those hot mammas! (Kim, Me, Kristen, my mom)



The weather was the complete opposite from the Mother's Day 5K last month. Today was HOT and HUMID where last month it was COLD and WINDY. I definitely preferred todays weather! My goal for today was to run it in under 30 minutes. Here were my stats:


Distance: 3.12 miles
Duration: 30:08
Pace: 09:39 mins/mile

Yeah. I improved by about 40 seconds or so, and I was psyched I kept my pace under 10 minutes....but I would be lying if I told you I was psyched about my time. Yeah, I was only 8 seconds over my goal, but I did not run it in under 30 minutes. I don't know where I went wrong...by the time I realized I missed my goal, it was too late to make the time up. Bummer. Big. Fat. Bummer. Overall, I am happy, just not psyched! I felt a lot stronger and in tune with myself than I did previously. I improved. I don't have regrets. Next time, I will do better! There will be a next time!

I was so impressed with Kevin! He blasted his previous time, and I am so proud of him for that. He worked hard for it! Last time he ran the 5K with me in about 30:40, but today, he ran it in just about 28+ minutes! He had originally planned to start off slow, but when he took off like crazy, I knew he was on a mission!

My parents did an awesome job, too! I couldn't be more proud of them. My mom, who was nervous a few days ago about "not liking to run" or "not sure if she'll do it" - finished in just over 32 minutes! Whoa! She was wanting to be under 40 minutes...she certainly blew away that goal! My dad, who never runs, beat me by 9 seconds! He took off at the start and I thought for sure I'd be seeing him on the ground up the road, but nope! I caught up with him, and he beat me! Whaaaaaaaaaat!?! Then, my girlfriend Kristen, who I don't think really wanted to run did an awesome job! She finished a minute behind me! Everyone did a really great job!

Today wasn't as "emotional" as my first 5K, but it left me wanting more. It left me wanting to run another race. It feels great! It makes me feel so good inside that I have inspired those close to me to do such good things for themselves. This is about bettering ourselves. Making ourselves feel better and live a healthier life! It feels good! It sets such a great example for our children - it sets a great example for our friends and family, too! I love that those close to me are jumping on the train with me!

The goal for everyone was to finish with no regrets. Never give up. 

And we didn't. 


Good job everyone! I challenge you to sign up for a 5K - whether it be your 1st or 100th. Challenge yourself to just finish the race. You can do it.

Running - Hills & MotionTraxx

I have been running since the week of March 1st. I never thought in a million years I would be able to successfully run 6 miles without dying. Remember, I was the anti-runner! I used to joke about getting winded running to the end of our 100 foot driveway. If someone told me they just "ran 5 miles", I'd laugh at them. I'd laugh at them and say "HA! I hate running" - That was me. That was me, then. This is me now. I run 3 days per week. I run about 3-6 miles per run. I run about a 10 minute mile. Sometimes I run alone with my music. Sometimes I run with a friend. I don't like to run while I am running, but I absolutely adore the feeling when I am finished. I feel strong. I feel motivated. I feel good.

A week from today, my husband and I, along with my parents and some great friends will be running in theSea Dogs Father's Day 5K here in Portland. It will be my 2nd 5K. Ever. My first was on Mother's day. I am really, really looking forward to this race. I think because it isn't so new to me. I know what to expect. I know the excitement that goes along with it. I know the course. I am hoping I can run in under 30 minutes this time!

Here are my runs from last week:

Monday - Running: 5.70 miles, 57:49, 10:08 mins/mile

Tuesday - Running: Speed & Hill training. 2.97 miles, 28:57, 9:45 mins/mile -

Saturday - Running: 4.77 miles, 49:39, 10+ mins/mile (mapmyrun didn't record pace). 

It's no lie, I have been avoiding hills. Running hills feels like you are running in place, except for one thing...it hurts. You just want the hill to end. You just pray there is a BIG downhill when you get to the top. I have been avoiding hills for this very reason. I don't dig the small ones, so why would I try and do big ones?

We live about .25 miles from a salt marsh. Scarborough has a massive salt marsh, and we are lucky to live in the middle of it. There is a bridge up the street that goes over a portion of the marsh. The hill leading up to the marsh isn't huge, but it's bigger than I've done. It's a decent incline, and thankfully, it isn't big at all, but just big enough to hurt.

Not only did I practice hills, but I tried a new podcast called MotionTraxx - it's free, and definitely worth a download! My pace had been slowing down a bit, and I have been trying to get it to under 10 minutes. I did the run/walk interval podcast, it was very, very cool. It was done in 30 second increments, and the music is slowed down or sped up depending on what you were supposed to do. It chimes at the marker, letting you know when it is time to speed up or down. Instead of walking, I jogged, and for the run, I ran at a much faster pace. The music was good, and it had the perfect beat for running. MotionTraxx has all sorts of different podcasts set at all sorts of different "BPM" or "Beats per minute"- depending on how fast you want to run or cycle. Look it up! It's pretty cool. There is also an iPhone application that costs $2.99 - no downloading, just streaming. You can't use it with any other program though, so I suggest downloading a podcast if you're using iMapmyRun.

So, if you're on the fence about running - why not give it a try? Challenge yourself. What's the worst that can happen? You decide it isn't for you and you go on to the next thing? At least you'll lose weight, get in shape and feel good while doing it...or you get hooked, and you are off and running! Meeting your goals and feeling great about yourself. Challenge yourself! There are always local races to get involved in, which help keep you going! I am commited through October to run. There is no stopping now. Try the Couch to 5K - you will be amazed.

Nursing & Weight Loss

I don't about many of you, but I am nursing my almost 9 month old daughter. Nursing is a definite pro to losing weight after pregnancy, but for me, I tend to hang on to about 5 pounds of weight with each child. When I found out I was pregnant with Mairead, I was about 118lbs. When I got pregnant with Lilah, I was about 125lbs (give or take) and with Clara, I weighed about 128lbs. Clara was the only child that allowed me to get back to what I was before I was pregnant, which was still not what I wanted to weigh!
I think I hold onto the weight because each time I have become pregnant (except for the first - haha), I have been nursing a child. So, in essence, I have been consecutively nursing for - count em - 4 years. Yes, four years.

According to Kellymom.com (a wonderful resource for breastfeeding mothers), mothers should wait until their baby is at least 2 months old before they start a weight loss regime. It takes this time to establish a healthy milk supply. You must also maintain adequate calories throughout the day. This has been one thing I have had to really focus on. There was a time earlier in my challenge where I was counting calories. I wanted to see where my calories were coming from. At this time, I noticed myself holding back a bit, and then, I noticed a decrease in supply. Once I upped my calories to about 1800-2000+ (I don't count anymore), my milk supply returned. I am also not a big water drinker, so making sure I drink enough fluids during the day also plays a huge role in my supply, too. So, if you are noticing a milk supply issue, pay attention to calories and fluids.

I eat what I want to eat. I don't want to have to restrict myself where I don't enjoy what I eat. I have made changes like eating healthier, more whole foods, cutting out foods with high fructose corn syrup, eating larger meals (I try to eat about 500 calories per meal) which leaves me with room to snack a bit, too. I will cut up fresh pineapple, have fresh berries, or grapes so when I have a craving to munch, I can munch on something better than junk. I have found that making sure I eat enough during meals will also limit my snacking. I eat a lot of eggs, Greek yogurt, fruit, tuna, fresh fish, salads, etc....and still love a bowl of ice cream at the end of a long day! 

An exclusively breastfeeding mother should take in 300-500 calories per day above what was needed to maintain pre-pregnancy weight.

A friend of mine asked about lactic acid build up in milk after exercise.....well, I looked it up, and kellymom.com says:

Research has not shown a noticable increase in lactic acid buildup after moderate exercise (50% & 75% intensity). The lactic acid in breastmilk does increase somewhat if mom exercises to maximum (100%) intensity, also described as exhaustive exercise. This increase may be present up to 90 minutes post-exercise. There are no known harmful effects for the baby. 

Most studies have found no difference in acceptance of the breast, even after maximum intensity exercise.

Although a highly publicized 1992 study indicated that baby might fuss or refuse expressed milk from a mom who had been exercising at 100% intensity, the results were questionable because the babies were fed the milk by dropper (unfamiliar to these babies), and the mothers reported that the babies had not had problems with nursing after exercise in the past. A more recent study showed no change in infants' acceptable of mom's milk an hour after exercise, even for the moms who exercised at maximum intensity (and thus did have a slight increase in lactic acid in their milk).

Dr. Ruth Lawrence, in her most recent volume (Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Profession, 1999 edition) says that there is no reason to wait to nurse after exercising. 

I have nursed Clara many times after a long, hard run, and she hasn't seemed to have a problem with the milk. I know some babies may have a problem because of the sweat and salty taste of their mothers skin, but for me, I have had no problems.

Have any of you had any experience with this? What have you learned?

Slacking! and Completion

Yeah, I admit, I've slacked majorly on this blog. Life has been very busy lately, and there have been many times where I have reminded myself to catch up, but I get distracted, and well, it doesn't happen.

I will say, I may have slacked on the blog, but I have continued to exercise and......run. Even beyond day 90!

You may have wondered, what happened to 90 days? Surprisingly, life passed me by before I realized, I had reached my goal of running for 90 days. On May 28th, I reached day 90 of my 90 day running challenge. It has truly been a life-changing 90 days. I never would have thought my life would have changed so much in such a short period of time. I'm not talking about family change, or life changing big event, but more like a personal change - an inner change. I have gone from feeling crappy about myself, not fitting into clothes, weighing the most I have ever weighed (129-130lbs), not being an active individual, to......the complete opposite. I am finally starting to feel positive about myself. I fit in almost alll of my clothes - size 4 pants. When I started this, I was a tight 6 and a loose 8.....now, I am a perfect 4 (in most pants) and a very loose 6. I don't feel like I have to squeeze into clothes anymore. I actually enjoy picking out clothes now. I actually enjoy shopping now. I have lost all of the weight I wanted to lose. I am now weighing in between 119-121. My ultimate goal is 115, but until I am done with nursing, I will not try to lose weight. If it comes off, then it comes off and if not, I am fine with that. All I want is to be fit and trim...and now, I consider myself an active individual. I feel lazy and gross when I don't exercise.

I now know that my past excuses for working out were not valid - they were just excuses. I hid behind those excuses. I have learned that I can do anything I want to do - anyone can.  I never in a million years thought I could run 3 miles, let alone 6. I never thought I would continue to run after my 90 days is through....but I am still running. You have to want to do something, and if you feel pressured or aren't ready for the commitment, you are setting yourself up for failure. I truly believe the fact that I was personally ready. I wanted to do it. I was ready to make the commitment. This is why I think I have succeeded. I have been planning for this moment since last spring. That is a long time to mentally prepare for something. I am so glad I did.

I look forward to continuing my challenge of staying healthy. fit. active. I look forward to teaching our girls how important a healthy lifestyle is. I love when our girls get excited about exercising. I love when Mairead asks if she can exercise with me. I love when she gets disappointed because I exercised without her. It's a new way of life for all of us, and I am loving it. I am glad our girls are young enough to not know any different. This is how it will be.

I am not going to stop this blog. I actually want to try to keep it up. I may not be daily, but I will update it. We are continuing to run, and I have commited myself to running through October. I am so lucky to have a supportive husband, family and friends. Kevin and I are scheduled to run another 5K on Father's Day, and I have a few others in the wings, too. It's amazing!

I hope whoever reads this will continue to be inspired. Will continue to see that anything is possible, and while there are always hurdles, you just have to work through them, and do the best you can.We all have to inspire and motivate each other. Support is so important, and I am so lucky that I have lots of it in my life.

How is everyone doing with their goals?